James hendeesoin



UNITED. STATES f PATENT OFFICE. 3

JAMES HENDERSON, E BELLEFONTE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BASIC PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,553, dated September 4, 1883,

Application filed August 10, 1883.

To all whom it ma/j) concern."

Be it known that I, JAMES HE DERSON, of Bellefonte, in the county of Centre and State of Pennsylvania, (formerly of New York city,)

. and hydrogen, and, under some circumstances,

to the action of a hydrocarbon, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In carrying out this invention Imake use of a Bessemer converter or similar vessel, liningthe same with some suitable basic or non-silicious material, which may be lime, magnesia,

or magnesian lime, applied preferably in the form of burned brick; but other modes of applying these substances, for which Letters Patent have been granted to me, may be used.

The iron to be treated may be the iron rich in carbon and silicon-such as is generally used in the acid processsay containing two to three per cent. of silicon, three andone-half 'to four per cent. of carbon, and too much phosof this iron.

phorus'to make useful steel by that process; but I do not purpose to limit myself to the use It is preferred, also, that the metal contain enough manganesesay from three to five per cent.to effect the production of steel without the use of spiegeleisen at the endof the blowing. The iron may be taken direct from the blast-furnace to the converter,

or melted ina cupola and poured into thec0n- .verter, and blown in the usual way with air during the first period, or that portion of the operation which is known as the desiliconization period," or until the silicon is reduced to about or below five-tenths per cent.

At-the end of this period the converter, preferably, may be turned down and the slags poured from it, after which the fluor-spar is charged upon or into the metal in any convenient way, as by blowing it in with the air, the

converter being raised to its usual position when at work. I The .blowing is then contin ued, steam being admitted into the blast-pipe with the air, and thus forced into the metal.

' constituents.

(No specimens The steam is decomposed by the-heat into its The fluor-spar also is melted and decomposed, the fluorine and lime combining with the greater portion of the phosphorus and removing it partially as a vapor, but aportion of it also going into the slag.

The hydrogen of the steam facilitates the op eration by also combining with a portion of the phosphorus. After the metal has been blown until the carbon is reduced to approximately one per cent. petroleum or some equivalent hydrocarbon may be introduced. with advantage for a period of two or three minutes, (its introduction into the blastpipe being con veniently effected by means of an Archime fdean screw.) The hydrogen of the petroleum contributes toward the removal of the phosphorus, while the carbon serves to increase the temperature of the metal, thus making it easier to pour from the converter. From two to three gallons of petroleum to each ton of metal may be used with advantage. l

While it is preferred to introduce the fluorare formed during the process of desiliconization, the fluor-spar may be introduced before the blowing begins. In such case, however, a much'larger quantity will be required, and there will not be the same advantage in pour.- ing 0H the slags prior to the introduction of the steam. If, however, the fiuor-spar be in= troduced into the vessel with the charge and before the blowing begins, it will be found necessary to use petroleum or some equivalent hydrocarbon at a later stage in the process. The reason for this is that the silicon, instead of burning, as would be the case if the fluorspar were not introduced at the beginning, will largely be removed byrthe fluorine without combustion, and this will tend to cool the metal to such a point that it will be exceedingly difficult to pour it. The subsequent use of petroleum will restore the heat thus lost and render the metal sufficiently fluid to pour Ioc quantity of hydrogen to effect the purification of the metal. i

For the purpose of preventing redshortness and giving steely properties to the metal, it i spar after the removal of the silicious slags that -may, after the desiliconization or the decarprocess, as this is described in Patent No.

274,889, dated March 27, 1883, granted me. My present invention is an improvement on said process, as it enables the purification of the metal with less fluor-spar, and the metal is hotter at the end of the operation, and may be more readily poured from the converter.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of hydro carbon in the Bessemer process for keeping up the heat. I

What is claimed as new is- 1. Theimprovement in the art of manufacturing iron and steel, which consists in subjecting the molten iron in a converting-chamber lined with a basic or non-silicious material to jets of air to desiliconize it, and subsequent ly treating it with fluor-spar, and with air and the vapor of water, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improvement in the art of manufac turing iron and steel,v which consists in subjecting the molten iron in a converting-chamber lined with a basic or non-silicious material to jets of air to desiliconize it, and subsequently treating it with fluor-spar, and with air and the vapor of water, and with petroleum 'or some equivalenthydrocarbon, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES HENDERSON.

\Vitnesses:

R0121. H. DUNCAN, SAML. A. DUNCAN. 

